You're Invited!It is my honor, as leader of our upcoming delegation to Vietnam, to invite you, and a guest, to be a part of this important, and first of its kind, cultural mission. This delegation was developed to give our delegates the opportunity to experience the traditional, slower paced city of Hanoi as well as the modern, fast paced Ho Chi Minh City, which is still referred to by its old name of Saigon. We will experience, firsthand, the culture of Vietnam, as well as, lovely countryside, spectacular landscapes and remarkable destinations such as, the beautiful and renowned Halong Bay.

The inspiration for this trip and the theme, "In Our Steps", comes from the desire of many Americans to visit, or revisit, this country that is important and continues to be deeply embedded in our national consciousness. Some of the places we will visit are places where American soldiers themselves walked. The trip is also inspired by my recent book, Last Plane Out of Saigon, which is largely comprised of my journal entries while I worked in the operating room of Vietnam’s largest military hospital during the last year of the war, pursuant to being drafted after my first year of law school. I left on the last day of American military involvement in March 1973.

This unique journey will allow you to discover the charms of the new Vietnam, while revisiting the traditional and timeless culture of the people. You will find that a majority of the Vietnamese people were born after the war, and they genuinely like Americans. This exclusive experience will be enhanced by the personalized care and attention you will receive from the specially selected National and Local Guides. Their knowledge of the people, customs and country will allow you to immerse yourself in the rich history and cultural heritage of this country which has been, and is, important to America.

Join me on this exciting adventure and be a part of history as you experience all that Vietnam has to offer.

ItinerarySince "In Our Steps" is unlike any other program, special attention was put into developing the itinerary and it has been thoughtfully tailored to account for the distinctiveness of this delegation. Click to view or download the itinerary. The program convenes on November 6, 2017 in Hanoi, Vietnam and ends on November 13, 2017 in Saigon. This means a departure from the U.S. on November 5th with the return flight on November 13th.

The photos below were taken during my previous delegations to Vietnam

CostThe estimated cost per delegation member is $4,995. This price includes an array of additional features, which our partners at Academic Travel Abroad have worked hard to include so that once you are in Vietnam,most of your expenses are covered.

**Scroll to the bottom of this page to read more about this extensive travel package.**

Reserving Your PlaceAs the delegation will be limited and due to the extensive planning and communication involved in coordinating a program of this nature, please respond with your intentions regarding this invitation as soon as possible. Please RSVP to Professionals Abroad at 1-877-298-9677or enroll via the web by clickingHERE. A $500 deposit is required to reserveyour place as part of the delegation. You are encouraged to bring a guest and forward this invitation to others you feel would be interested! We look forward to hearing from you regarding your participation and truly hope you can join this interesting delegation.There is an optional extension to Cambodia following the conclusion of this trip. For more information about the extension visit www.professionalsabroad.org and search "In Our Steps" under the Search Our Delegations section, or click here to be taken to this program's extension page.

TravelTravel arrangements will be arranged through Professionals Abroad, a division of Academic Travel Abroad. The 60-year-old organization handles the logistical arrangements for prestigious organizations, such as National Geographic, The Smithsonian, The New York Times – Times Journeys and many top professional associations and universities.

QuestionsIf you have questions regarding the delegation, contact our Program Representative at Professionals Abroad, at 1-877-298-9677.

I am pleased to be involved in this exciting opportunity and hope that you will strongly consider participating in this historic delegation to Vietnam.

The price of this trip includes, but is not limited to excellent accommodations, city travel expenses and an extensive meal program. From the moment you touchdown in Vietnam to your departure, you will have National and Local Guides watching out for your every need. Enjoy your stay throughout at luxurious Five Star Hotels in both Hanoi and Saigon. For your overnight excursion to the gorgeous Halong Bay, you will stay in an elegant and authentic Chinese sailing ship. Traveling accommodations will include baggage handling, to and from, each destination throughout your visit. This also applies to day excursions and any city changeovers. Costs associated with land and boat travel are covered, as is the airfare from Hanoi to Saigon that occurs mid-way through the program. All activities that are scheduled for the delegation, as a whole, are also included in the price. This means all Museum Tickets, Guided Tours, Sight-Seeing & local Attraction fees, Live Theater Tickets, the City Bike Tourand much much more are all included. Most meals will be provided, which includes dining-out opportunities featuring genuine and local Vietnamese cuisine. Additionally, the price accounts for all tips and/or other gratuities related to planned group activities & the included meals.

Anthony Bourdain, renowned traveler, chef and food connoisseur, visited Vietnam for an episode of his CNN series Parts Unknown. Click to read an article that features some of Bourdain's experiences and highlights his trip to Vietnam!

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Author

Christiane CallowayAttended the University of Texas at Austin where she majored in Advertising. She is currently the Marketing Director for the Law Offices of Richard Pena and the book Last Plane Out of Saigon.